Check-controlled game apparatus.



J. GRAVES.

CHECK CONTROLLED GAME APPARATUS. APPLIOATiON FILED FEB. 29, 190B.

Patented Feb. 9, 1909.

3 BHBETSSHEET 1.

AWM rWM/ W/l/ wwweg J. GRAVES. CHECK CONTROLLED GAME APPARATUS.

APPLIUATIONIILBID FEB. 29, 1908.

Patented Feb. 9, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J GRAVES.

OHBGK CONTROLLED GAMIB APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 29, 1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Q6 Wa Maiwkgy UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIQ.

JOHN GRAVES, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO AUTOMATIC BOWLINGALLEY COMPANY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

CHECK-CONTROLLED GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 9, 1909.

Application filed February 29, 1908. Serial No.:418,490.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN GRAVES, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State ofIVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in CheckControlled Game Apparatus and I do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My improvements consist in what is herein shown, described and pointedout in the claims of this specification, its object being to providesimple, economical and compact check-controlled mechanism by which tocontrol pin set-works of a bowling-game apparatus, the specific pinset-works herein disclosed having been divided out of this applicationand claimed in my divisional application Serial No. 442,658, filed July9, 1908.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a plan view of afragment of a game-apparatus in accordance with my invention partlybroken away and in section horizontally thereof; Fig. 2, a vertical,longitudinal central sectional view of said fragment of the apparatus;Fig. 2 a similar sectional view of a continuation of said apparatus;Fig. 3, a transverse sectional view indicated by lines 33 in Fig. 2;Fig. 4:, a front elevation of the apparatus; Fig. 5, a partly sectionalside elevation of a detail of the apparatus and is indicated by lines 55in Fig. 6, and Fig. 6, a partly sectional end elevation of said detailindicated by lines 66 in Fig. 5.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A indicates each of the sides, B,C, the ends, and D, E, top-sections of a boX-like casing. Thetop-section E is a roll-way preferably inclined upward from the approachend 0 of the casing between gutters F that also constitute top-sectionsof said casing. The top-section D of the casing is approximatelyhorizontal below the adjacent end of the roll-way and serves as apin-stand and bottom of a pit from which balls bowled on said roll-wayfind their escape into a ball-return G that is suitably pitched underone of the aforesaid gutters.

Pins H preferably bulbous at their lower ends, are supported on thestand, and when in vertical position the lower bulb portion of each isbelow the roll-way, so that the appearance of the set pins from theapproach end of said roll-way is that of ordinary bowlingpins set on anordinary bowlingalley. Attached to the lower end of each pin is aflexible hanger b that extends through an aperture provided in thepin-stand, and this hanger is attached to one of a series of weights 0,by which said pin is automatically set.

Underlying the weights is a platform I attached at each side to longarms of hellcrank levers J that are suitably fulcrumed in connectionwith brackets (Z fastened to framing of the casing aforesaid inside thesame. The connection of the bell-crank levers with the platform is suchthat said platform is always on a horizontal plane regardless of itsmovement from time to time in a vertical direction. Other short arms ofthe lovers J are connected, in pairs, by links, only one of these linksbeing shown at K in Fig. 2 and a yoke L connecting the links is attachedmidway of its ends to a rod M that is in turn connected to a shank N ofa piston O in a cylinder P, this cylinder being herein shown as havingscrew-thread connection with an annular flange 6 of a casting Q,suitably mounted in the casing above specified, the flanged portion ofthis casing being one of the heads of said cylinder. The casting isprovided with guides for the rod E of the piston as well as for anotherrod S parallel to said piston-rod above the same and having the functionof a pusher.

The piston rod is provided with an end collar f and serves as an arborfor a cylindrical shell T, the hub of the shell being in opposition tosaid collar. A partition portion 9 of the shell outward from its hub isprovided with a radial recess 72. that is normally open longitudinallyof the shell and contoured to receive a check that enters the samethrough a registering slot t' provided in said shell, this slot being inregister with. a stationary check-chute once in each revolution of theaforesaid shell on its arbor.

The shell T is provided with a ratchetflange 7c engageable with aspring-controlled pawl m in pivotal connection with a lug n of thecasting Q, and a spiral-spring p is arranged, under tension, on thepiston-rod it between a collar 9 of same and the hub of said shell toprovide sufiicient friction to prevent overrunning of the aforesaidshell when the same has intermittent step-by-step rotary movement ashereinafter more particularly described.

A rock-shaft U is arranged in bearings r with which the inner framing ofthe casing and the casting Q aforesaid are provided. A treadle-lever Vis attached to one end of the shaft and extends through a verticalplay-slot s in the approach end of said casing. Fast on the shaft is acrank Vt having a yokeend astraddle of a collar t of the rod S and inspanner connection with lateral lugs u of the same, an ear o of saidcollar being connected to one end of a link to that has its other endsecured to a spiral-spring at that is attached, under tension, to a bolt'y in the framing of the aforesaid casing.

The approach end of the casing is provided with a spring-controlledlatch. I; for holding" the lever V in depressed position, and access ishad to the interior of said casing through a front opening in same forwhich a door V is provided. A ball-stop cage Z is also provided at theapproach end of the casing in register with the ball-return G aforesaid.

'l he cylinder P is vented on one side of the piston 0 through thatportion of the casting Q that forms a cylinder-head, and that portion ofsaid cylinder on the other side of said piston is vented through anangular passage 2 in the piston-shank N, the disposition of this passagebeing such that an air-cushion resistance is established in theaforesaid cylinder to prevent sudden drop of the plat-- form I and 161kof the pin weights 0 on their hangers.

'l'he apparatus is organized with especial reference to the game often-pins as ordinarily understood, and the normal position of the shellT is such that the slot and partition-recess of same are in registerwith the check-chute 9 to receive a proper check I) that for a timeserves as a stop in the path of the rod S on its movement toward theapproach-end of said apparatus, incidental to a depression of the leverV, the result being a throw of said shell to the position shown. Thisoperation actuates the piston O and parts in connection therewith toelevate the platform I and weights 0, whereby the weight hangers b areslackened, as shown in Fig. 2, the pins H having been. previously setautomatically, by a descent of said weights, when said platform waspreviously lowered on a release of the lever V from latched position. Nocheck having been depositedas aforesaid, the depression of the lever Vwill result in a movement of the rod S through the recess in the shellpartition without disturbing the normal position of the shell itself,and should a ball or balls be bowled, no pins will fall because of thesame being held at the time in set position by the weights aforesaid,then clear of the lowered platform.

The shell '1 having been moved to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2,the lever V is secured for the time being by the latch X, against thedraw of the spring a: and the gravity of the platform I that is thensupporting tne pin-weights. The player now bowls one frame of the game,after which the lever V is released, the result being a reverse movementof the piston 0, parts in connection therewith and the rod S, w ierebythe platform I is lowered clear of the weights H and fallen pinsautomatically reset. ln the meantime, the shell l is moved one step ofits full revolution, because of the engagement of its ratchet-flange I:with the pawl m, this movement taking place when d shell is carried bythe piston-rod toward the casting Q in which said rod LIiL the one havetheir play. 'i he lever V is again swung down, and the operations abovedescribed repeated. until the player has bowled all his frames of agame. After the checkin the shell T has cleared the path of the rod S,the partition g of said shell becomes the stop for said rod and socontinues until the check-recess of said partition is again in registerwith the aforesaid rod and the checkchute, said. check having in themeantime been automatically discharged from the aforesaid sh ell. Asherein shown, the timing of the intermittent rotary motion of the shell'l is such that provision is had for all the set-ups possible in aten-frame game, there being eleven teeth on the ratchetfiange of saidshell.

I claim:

1. A bowling-game apparatus comprising a pin set works embodying areciprocative pusher, a reciprocative arbor, a cylindrical devicerotative on the arbor and provided with a check-seat normally inregister with the pusher that is free to move through the same in theabsence of a check, means for actuating said pusher, and means forimparting step-by-step rotary motion to said cylindrical devicecoincident with a reciprocation of its arbor and the aforesaid pushersubsequent to lodgment of a check in said seat.

2. A bowling-game apparatus comprising a pin set-works embodying asuitably guided pusher, a rock-shaft having cranlcconnection with thepusher, a shaft-controlling treadle-lever, means for holding the leverdepressed, a reciprocative arbor, a cylindrical device rotative on thearbor and provided with a check-seat normally in register with saidpusher that is free to move through the same in the absence of a check,and means for imparting step-by-step rotary motion to said cylindricaldevice coincident with a reciprocation of its arbor and the aforesaidpusher subsequent to lodgment of a check in said seat.

3. A bowling-game apparatus comprising a pin set-works embodying areciprocative pusher, a reciprocative arbor, a cylindrical devicerotative on the arbor and provided with a check-seat normally inregister with the pusher that is free to move through the same in theabsence of a check, means for actuating said pusher, means for impartingstep-by-step rotary motion to said cylindrical device coincident with areciprocation of its arbor and the aforesaid pusher subsequent tolodgment of a check in said seat, and means for preventing overrunningof the aforesaid cylindrical device.

4. A bowling-game apparatus comprising a pin set-works embodying areciprocative pusher, a reciprocative arbor, a cylindrical devicerotative on the arbor and provided with a check-seat as well as aratchet flange, said check-seat being normally in register with thepusher that is free to move through the same in the absence of a check,means for actuating said pusher, and a pawl arranged in engagement withthe ratchetflange of the cylindrical device to effect a step-by-steprotary motion of said device coincident with a reciprocation of itsarbor and the aforesaid pusher subsequent to lodgment of a check in saidseat.

A bowling-game apparatus comprising a pin set-works embodying aspring-andlever controlled pusher, a reciprooative arbor, a cylindricaldevice rotative on the arbor and provided with a check-seat normally inregister with the pusher that is free to move through the same in theabsence of a check, and means for imparting step-bystep rotary motion tosaid cylindrical device coincident with a reciprocation of its arbor andsaid pusher subsequent to lodgment of a check in said seat.

6. A bowling-game apparatus com rising a pin set-works embodying acasting iaving a cylinder extension, a piston in the cylinder providedwith a rod and shank in opposite directions, the rod being guided in thecasting and constituting an arbor, a pusher also guided in said casting,a cylindrical device rotative on the arbor and provided with acheck-seat normally in register with the pusher that is free to movethrough the same in the absence of a check, means for actuating thepusher, means for imparting stepby-step rotary motion to the cylindricaldevice coincident with a reciprocation of its arbor and said pushersubsequent to lodgment of a check in said seat, a movable pin-weightplatform, and platform levermechanism in connection with thepistonshank, descent of said platform being retarded by air-cushion inthe cylinder.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand atMilwaukee in the county of Milwaukee and State of l/Visconsin in thepresence of tWo witnesses.

JOHN GRAVES. Witnesses:

N. E. OLIPHANT, GEORGE FELBER.

